‘Jaw-Dropping’ Lancaster Hoard To Make Its First Public Appearance This September

The Lancaster Hoard is one of North West England’s most spectacular Bronze Age discoveries. Recently unearthed by two metal detectorists, these jaw-dropping artefacts will go on display this September, while while archaeologists carry out a crowdfunded investigation of the site where it was found.

A team of archaeologists from DigVentures, Durham University and the Portable Antiquities Scheme will return to Lancashire this September to investigate an untouched Bronze Age barrow near Lancaster, where a chance discovery by an amateur metal detectorist has unearthed the most spectacular hoard of this period ever discovered in North West England. The project has secured the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) North West region and has received a grant of £59,300.

The project will investigate the site where the hoard was found, and follows on from a dig last year, also in the local area, during which the team discovered a rare Early Bronze Age (2200 – 1600 BC) funerary urn, known as a Food Vessel, which is now undergoing further research.

According to DigVentures Projects Director Brendon Wilkins: ‘The Lancaster Hoard is very unusual – most of the objects are in virtually pristine condition, including spearheads, axes, bracelets, arm rings, an extremely rare chisel and a pair of ornaments. No two objects are exactly the same, and the variety is striking.’

The team will now be able to exhibit the artefacts from the Lancaster Hoard in public, for the first time ever, at their pop-up museum at The Storey in Lancaster.

The pop up museum will act as an HQ for the project where everyone is welcome to drop by to learn more and speak to the archaeological team. It will be open from 9:00am till 5:30pm throughout the dig, which takes place from 12 – 24 September 2017.

The team is now inviting anyone interested in discovering the past to crowdfund the project on their website. In return for backing the project, supporters become part of the dig team – through exclusive digital access to project data, and receiving the training and tools needed to participate in the expedition. Through a ‘buy one give one’ scheme, each crowdfunder who joins the field team will also create a second place on the dig for a member of the local community.

Supporters will be trained by DigVentures and excavations will be carried out in partnership with Bronze Age experts including Stuart Noon, PAS Finds Liaison Officer, and Dr Ben Roberts, who is Lecturer in Museum Studies at Durham University and was previously the Bronze Age curator at the British Museum.

An evening event about the project will be held on Saturday, 16th September at The Storey, including an in-depth look at the Lancaster Hoard artefacts and a Q&A with the archaeologists. The event is free to attend, however there are a limited number of seats available and registration is necessary. For more information about this event, booking school groups or other questions, please email hello@digventures.com or call 0333 011 3990.

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Lisa Westcott Wilkins

Co-founder and Managing Director of DigVentures, Lisa makes sure the boxes are ticked, the diggers run on time, and that everyone has a *really* good time along the way. She is responsible for the Americanisms, ridiculously strong site coffee and early morning DV dance parties.

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